It
was purely a wartime coincidence that a forward patrol of the
US 9th Armored Division led by an American of German descent,
Lt. K. H. Timmermann, was able to capture the bridge in a surprise
attack on 7 March 1945, following two unsuccessful attempts
by the German Wehrmacht to destroy it.

Thus
it was in Remagen that the US Army crossed the Rhine in its
final push against the Third Reich, and the 2000-year-old city
on the banks of the river took its place in the annals of war
history. The Bridge at Remagen played a key role in the
final chapter of World War II, and its conquest has been recorded
by history books as the “Miracle at Remagen”.

General
Dwight D. Eisenhower proclaimed, “The bridge is worth its weight
in gold.” Prime Minister Winston Churchill spoke of a
“lucky break”, and historians agree that the Bridge at Remagen
helped to shorten the war.

The
proceeds from the sale of the pillar stones are used for the
upkeep of the museum in the remaining basaltic twin-towers at
the history site on the Remagen side of the Rhine. The
museum is now a meeting place for all friends of Peace.